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Introduction to IBARAKI

The Course of Ibaraki's Administration

Year   Japanese era and year   Major events that occurred in Ibaraki   Year in Japanese era   Major events that occurred in Japan
                 
645
 
  		  Taika 1
 
  		  The Taika Reforms
After this, Hitachi-no-Kuni was established, bringing the six domains of Taga, Kuji, Naka, Ibaraki, Tsukuba and Niihari together, and a defense agency was stationed in Ishioka. (Shimousa-no-Kuni was formed from the Yūki, Sashima, and Kita-Sōma regions)		        
713   Wadō 6       6   An Imperial edict ordered the creation of the topography "Fūdoki."
723   Yōrō 7   The "Hitachi-no-Kuni Fūdoki" topography was completed.        
743   Tenpyō 15   Construction of the Hitachi- Kokubinji temple started in Ishioka.        
939   Tenkei 2   Masakado Taira attacked the Hitachi-no-Kuni government and the Masakado Revolt began.        
1339   Engen 4
(Rekiō 2) 		  Chiikafusa Kitabatake wrote "Jin'nō-shōtō-ki".        
1590   Tenshō 18   Yoshinobu Satake unified Hitachi        
1657   Meireki 3   Mitsukuni Tokugawa started editing the "Dai-Nihon-Shi" historiography.        
1808   Bunka 5   Rinzo Mamiya discovered the Mamiya straits.        
1842   Tempō 13   Nariaki Tokugawa opened Kairakuen.        
1867   Keiō 3       3   Shōgun Yoshinobu Tokugawa requested "Taisei Hōkan," or restoration of Imperial Rule.
1869   Meiji 2       2   Feudal lords put into action "Hanseki Hōkan," returning control of land and people to the Emperor.
1871   Meiji 4   Ibaraki Prefecture, Niihari Prefecture and Inba Prefecture were established as a result of the combining and abolition of prefectures.   4   Prefectures established in place of feudal domains
1872   Meiji 5   The Ibaraki Prefectural Office was opened in the Kōdōkan building.   5   Improvement of the school system began.
1873   Meiji 6   The first public elementary school in the prefecture opened in Mito-shi.        
1874   Meiji 7  

The Niihari Prefecture Teachers' College opened in Tsuchiura and a general teachers' college opened in Mito.

        
1875   Meiji 8  

Ibaraki Prefecture and Niihari Prefecture were merged creating what is now Ibaraki Prefecture.

        
1876   Meiji 9  

The name of the general teachers' college in Mito was changed to Ibaraki Teachers' College.
Tsuchiura Teachers' College became a branch thereof.

        
1878   Meiji 11   County offices were set up and a chief of each county was appointed.        
1879   Meiji 12   A prefectural assembly was established and the first election for members of the prefectural assembly was held.        
1880   Meiji 13   The first junior high school in Ibaraki Prefecture was opened.        
1882   Meiji 15   The first prefectural office was constructed.        
1885   Meiji 18   The Japan National Railroad Tōhoku Line between Ōmiya and Utsunomiya was opened.
Koga Station was established. (Currently on JR Tōhoku Line)		        
1888   Meiji 21   The population of the prefecture exceeded one million.        
1889   Meiji 22   Municipal-level administration began. The merging of towns and villages established one city, 40 towns and 335 villages.   22   The Constitution of the Japanese Empire came into effect.
1893   Meiji 26   A telegraph line was established between Mito and Tōkyō (via Koyama).        
1894   Meiji 27   The Prefectural Assembly Hall was completed.   27   The Sino-Japanese War broke out.
1895   Meiji 28   The first dissolution of the prefectural assembly        
1903   Meiji 36   The Prefectural Library opened.        
1904   Meiji 37       37   The Russo-Japanese War broke out.
1905   Meiji 38   The Hitachi mine was opened.        
1906   Meiji 39   "Dai-Nihon-Shi," totaling 397 volumes, was completed.        
1907   Meiji 40   Mito introduced electric-powered lights.        
         Telephone service began in Mito-shi, Yūki-machi, Koga-machi, and Shimodate-machi.        
1914   Taishō 3   The chimney at the Hitachi mine was completed.   3   The First World War broke out.
1923   Taishō 12       12   The Great Kantō Earthquake occurred.
1926   Taishō 15   County chiefs and county offices were abolished.        
1928   Shōwa 3   The first May Day was held in the prefecture.        
1930   Shōwa 5   Ōtone Bridge in Kita-Sōma-gun was opened.        
        The prefectural office (former main government office building) was completed.        
1935   Shōwa 10   The prefecture promoted the merger of towns and villages.        
1939   Shōwa 14       14   The Second World War broke out.
1941   Shōwa 16       16   The Pacific War broke out.
1945   Shōwa 20       20   The end of the war
1946   Shōwa 21       21   The Constitution of Japan was promulgated.
1947   Shōwa 22   The prefecture reached a population of more than two million.   22   The Local Autonomy Law was promulgated.
        The first election for a prefectural governor was held.        
1949   Shōwa 24   Ibaraki University opened.        
1950   Shōwa 25   The Ibaraki Prefecture Overall Development Plan was decided.        
1951   Shōwa 26   A school lunch service started in elementary schools in the four cities of Mito, Hitachi, Tsuchiura and Koga.        
1954   Shōwa 29   The Prefectural Police Headquarters was established.        
1957   Shōwa 32   Japan's first nuclear reactor started operations.        
1958   Shōwa 33   Merging of cities, towns and villages created 16 cities, 39 towns and 37 villages in the prefecture.        
1961   Shōwa 36   A monitor system for the prefectural administration started.        
1962   Shōwa 37   Development of Kashima started.        
         Chōsi-Ōhashi Bridge opened.        
1963   Shōwa 38   The prefectural song of Ibaraki Prefecture was created.        
        Construction of Kashima Port started.        
1964   Shōwa 39        39   The Tōkyō Olympics were held.
1965   Shōwa 40   The Ibaraki Prefecture Overall Promotion Plan was established.        
1966   Shōwa 41   The Prefectural Culture Center was completed.        
1967   Shōwa 42   Hitachi Port became an active trading port.        
1968   Shōwa 43   Ibaraki Prefecture Resident's Day was started.        
1969   Shōwa 44   Kashima Port opened.        
            Construction of Tsukuba Science City began.        
1970   Shōwa 45   The Ibaraki Prefecture Overall Promotion Plan was put forth.        
1971   Shōwa 46   A Resident's Day assembly commemorating the 100th anniversary of Ibaraki Prefecture was held.        
1973   Shōwa 48   The Kushigata mining station at Takahagi mine and the Tokiwa coalfield were closed.        
        The U.S. Army returned control of the Mito air-raid firing range.        
        The University of Tsukuba opened.        
1974   Shōwa 49   The Prefectural History Building was opened.        
        National Athletic Meet held in Ibaraki.        
        The 10th National Sports Meet for the Physically Challenged was held.        
1976   Shōwa 51   The 27th National Tree-Planting Festival was held.        
        Ibaraki Prefecture Welfare Basic Plan set forth.        
1977   Shōwa 52   Construction of the Joban Highway started.        
1980   Shōwa 55   Construction of Tsukuba Science City was completed.        
        The University of Library and Information Science opened.        
        The Second Ibaraki Prefecture Welfare Basic Plan was created.        
1981   Shōwa 56   The prefectural botanical gardens opened.        
        An outline for management of the Mito air-raid firing range returned by the U.S. Army was decided.        
1985   Shōwa 60   Tsukuba Expo '85 was held.        
        The Prefectural Industrial Technology Center was established.        
        The Ibaraki Prefecture Welfare Basic Plan for Residents was created.        
        Car ferry service between Ōarai and Tomakomai, Muroran started.        
        The Prefectural Flower Park was opened.        
1986   Shōwa 61   Sister prefecture relationship began with:
  • State of Emilia-Romagna, Italy
  • Alajuela Prefecture, Costa Rica
  • Essonne Prefecture, France
       
1987   Shōwa 62   Kasumigaura-Ōhashi Bridge opened.        
        The Higashi-Kantō Expressway between Sahara-Katori and Itako opened.        
1988   Shōwa 63   The section of the Tokiwa Highway going through Ibaraki opened.        
        The 8th National Assembly for Maintaining a Fertile Sea was held.        
        The Prefectural Museum of Modern Art opened.        
1989   Heisei 1   Construction of Hitachi-Naka Port started.        
1990   Heisei 2   The Ibaraki Prefecture Basic Welfare Plan was updated.        
        The Preventive Medicine Plaza opened.        
1991   Heisei 3   A new addition to the National Hitachi Seaside Park opened.        
        The new prefectural seal was introduced.        
1992   Heisei 4   The Prefecture General Welfare Hall opened.        
        The General Prefecture Agriculture Center was opened.        
1993   Heisei 5   Ibaraki held the 10th National Tree-Planting in Cities Fair (Green Fair '93 Ibaraki).        
        Construction of the Kashima Prefectural Soccer Stadium began.        
1994   Heisei 6   The Ryūjin-Ōtsuribashi suspension bridge was completed.        
        The Prefectural Nature Museum opened.        
        Construction of the Kita-Kantō Expressway began.        
        Construction of the new Jōban Expressway began.        
1995   Heisei 7   Kitaura-Ōhashi bridge opened.        
        Ibaraki Prefecture Long-Term General Plan created.        
        The 6th International Conference on the Conservation and Management of Lakes: Kasumigaura '95 was held.        
        The Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Sciences opened.        
        The ceramic industry prefectural guidance office, "Takumi Kobo Kasama" was completed.        
1996   Heisei 8   The 2nd Kasumigaura Marathon for the Visually Impaired was held.        
        The prefectural office in Shanghai opened.        
        The Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Sciences hospital opened.        
        Kashima-shi was selected as one of the venues for the 2002 Soccer World Cup.        
1997   Heisei 9   Izura Tenshin Memorial Museum of Art opened.        
        The 8th National Gathering for the Protection of Nature was held.        
1998   Heisei 10   Yūai-Pic Ibaraki Meet (the 7th national meet) for the Mentally Challenged was held.        
        Hitachi-Naka Port opened.        
1999   Heisei 11   Construction of the new prefectural office was completed.        
2000   Heisei 12   The Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum opened.        
2001   Heisei 13   Kashima Soccer Stadium reopened.        
2002   Heisei 14   Ibaraki Prefectural Oarai Aquarium opened.        
        Part of the 2002 FIFA World Cup held in Ibaraki.        
        All-Japan Athletic High School Athletic Meet held in Ibaraki.        
        The Daigo Widearea Park's car camping area opened.        
2003   Heisei 15   The Ibaraki Broadband Network commenced operation.        
2004   Heisei 16   NHK local digital broadcast began.        
2005   Heisei 17   The Kasumigaura Science Center opened.        
        56th annual National Arbor Day held in Ibaraki.        
        The Tsukuba Express railroad began operation.        
2006   Heisei 18   A wave of municipal mergers reduced Ibaraki Prefecture to 44 municipalities (32 cities, 10 towns, and 2 villages).        
        The Northern Ibaraki Lifelong Learning Center opened.        
        National Lifelong Learning Festival        
2007   Heisei 19   20th annual Nenrin-pics (National Health and Welfare Festival for the Aged) held in Ibaraki.        
2008   Heisei 20   Hitachinaka Seaside Railway company created.        
2009   Heisei 21   31st annual Abilympic held in Ibaraki.        
2010   Heisei 22   Ibaraki Airport opened.        

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